Branding device



Nov. 22,1938. E. wj ASHTON BRANDING DEVICE Fiied May 12, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fmeaz ZlzzdAa/zforz INVENTOR ATTORNEY Nov. 22, 1938. "a. w. ASHTON 2,137,891 BRANDING DEVICE Filed ma 12, 19:57 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN EY y f s w INVENTOR Ernest 516221 4.9% for? \s m T A rrssr- M Zhul/ Patented Nov. 22, 1938 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRANDIN G DEVICE.

Application May 12, 1937, Serial No. 142,274

11 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvedbranding'device.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved branding device.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims which follow.

By way of illustration but without limiting the scope of the invention, the device will be described as employing needle type die characters 10 and adapted for the tattoo branding of live animals, meat carcasses orparts, and other articles which it is desired to brand by imprinting below the branded surface. The device comprises one or more fixed characters, for example, to denote 1-3 the identifying mark of the producer and one or more series of selectable characters to designate the article lot. The selectable characters are mounted upon rotatable wheels which may be held in alignment with the fixed characters.

In the drawings similar reference characters in the several figures indicate similar elements.

Figure 1 is a side view of the branding tool.

Figure 2 is a. bottom plan view.

Figure 3 is an end view.

Figure 4 is a view, partly in section and taken substantially on line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a View, partly in section and taken substantially on line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail View, showing one of the wheels mounting aseries of selectable dies.

Figures 7 and 8 are detail views of the selectable die holding means.

Figures 9, 10 and 11 are detail views of the die pins and mounting therefor.

The branding tool is mounted within casing I, comprising sections 2 and 3 secured one against the other as by bolts 4. Handle 5 is mounted through neck 6 of the formed casing and is rigidly secured as by bolt l.

The under surface of easing I is cut away as at 3, to provide open face ,9 through which the selectable dies I!) are rotatably moved into branding position in alignment with fixed dies ll.

As shown in Figures '1 and 2, fixed die plates II are tapered at either of their ends l2, and are fixedly secured as by screw l3, between tapered jaws I4 of clamps 55. A clamp l5 may be formed integral with either of the casing members 2 and 3 or rigidly secured thereto in any 50 suitable manner.

As shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, selectable die plates l6 are rigidly mounted as by screws l6, against flat peripheral surfaces ll of rotor l8, and are rotatably mounted within casing l for 5 movement relative to fixed dies ll. TWO rotors l8, each carrying a series of selectable die characters I8, are employed in the device of the presentinvention. In the drawings each of the rotors is shown carrying five die plates ID. This number is optional and may be increased or decreased, within reason, according to requirements.

Annular hub flanges l9 and are formed integral with lateral faces 2| and 22 of rotors 18. A trunnion 23 of reduced diameter relative to flange 20,. is formed integral with the flange 20 and concentrically ,with the rotors 18. Axial bore 24 of less diameter than trunnion 23, passes through rotors l8 and may extend a substantial depth into trunnion 23.

Rotors l8 are mounted one against the other and through their respective bores 24 on ,loose shaft 25 and the trunnions 23 are rotatably journaled in suitable openings 26 and 21 in casing members 2 and 3. It will be seen that in the rotor assembly the opposed flanges I9 provide suitable bearing surfaces 28 between rotors I8 and that flanges 2!) provide suitable bearing surfaces 29 for abutment between the rotors I B and their respective casing members 2 and 3.

Rotors l8 are free to rotate relative to one another and are separately rotated by a thumb wheel 30, secured as by screw 3| to the free end of each of the trunnions 23. The positions of the several dies carried on the rotors 18 may be designated by suitable indicia shown on the respective thumb wheels 30.

The desired selectable dies I!) are held in alignment with fixed dies l I by bolt members 32 slidably mounted for movement within depressions 33 in lateral faces 22 of rotors l8. A depression is provided for each of the dies l0 carried on rotors IS.

A boss 34 is formed integral with each of the casing members 2 and 3, through which is provided a suitable opening 35 for mounting the bolt members 32. The movements of bolt members 32 are separately controlled by a springtensioned thumb lever 36 pivoted as at 3'! on bracket 38, secured as by screws 39, to casing I. 'The free end 40 of thumb lever 36 passes through slot 4| in boss 34 and engages transverse groove 42 in its respective bolt member 32. A spring 43, operable against each of levers 36, serves to press bolt members 32 into depressions 33 and thus hold rotors l8 and their respective dies I0 against rotatable movement.

When it is desired to change the selectable die of either of the rotors, the respective thumb lever is depressed whence the bolt member is removed from the controlling depression. The rotor is then rotated by the thumb wheel until the desired die is brought into alignment with the fixed dies. The lever is then released and the bolt member reseated into the depression corresponding to the selected die.

Spring 44 is secured as by screw 45 to casing I, and is tensioned at its free end 46 against movable dies I0. As shown in Figure 5, the end 46 of spring 44 abuts against ends 41 of die members l0. When changing the die on either of the rotors i8, rotor I8 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as shown in Figure 5, until the desired die is moved past spring 44 and in substantial alignment with the fixed dies H. The rotor i8 is then reversed until the desired die abuts spring 44. This assures absolute mesh and prompt seating of bolt member 32 into the corresponding depression 33.

In use, the several characters are first applied to a body of pigment and thence against the article to be branded. The characters may be applied to the article to be branded by a sharp impact blow of the implement or by pressure applied against the back surface of the implement. It will be seen that the needles serve to carry the pigment beneath the surface of the branded article.

The pins 48 forming the several dies are characteristically arranged in plate backings. A feature of the present invention comprises clenching the pins adjacent their.set ends as at 49, as shown in Figure 9, to provide shoulders or enlargements 50, such as shown in Figure 10, and

- thereafter setting the pins in type metal according to conventional practice. Pins formed in this manner provide a more rigid setting and resist pulling from their respective plates during withdrawal of the tool from the branded article.

I claim:

1. A branding implement comprising a pair of rotors each having an axial trunnion formed integral with one of the lateral faces thereof, a loose shaft rotatably mounting the rotors with the opposite lateral faces of the rotors one against the other, a casing rotatably mounting the trunnion of each of said rotors and having an open face defining a branding surface, a series of branding characters secured against the peripheral surface of each of said rotors and movable into branding position relative to said branding surface, means rotating each of said rotors, and means locking each of said rotors against rotation whereby any one of the series of branding characters carried thereon will be secured into branding position.

2. A branding implement comprising a pair of rotors each having an axial trunnion formed in tegral with one of the lateral faces thereof, a loose shaft rotatably mounting the rotors with the opposite lateral faces of the rotors one against the other, a casing rotatably mounting the trunnion of each of said rotors and having an open face defining a branding surface, a series of branding characters secured against the peripheral surface of each of said rotors and movable into branding position relative to said branding surface, means rotating each of said rotors, and means locking each of said rotors against rotation whereby any one of the series of branding characters carried thereon will be secured into branding position, said locking means comprising a spring-tensioned bolt member, one for each rotor, movable into and out of depressions provided in one of the lateral faces of its respective rotor.

3. A branding implement comprising a pair of rotors each having an axial trunnion formed integral with one of the lateral faces thereof, a loose shaft rotatably mounting the rotors with the opposite lateral faces of the rotors one against the other, a casing rotatably mounting the trunnion of each of said rotors and having an open face defining a branding surface, a series of branding characters secured against the peripheral surface of each of said rotors and movable into branding position relative to said branding surface, means rotating each of said rotors, means locking each of said rotors against rotation whereby any one of the series of branding characters carried thereon will be secured into branding position, said locking means comprising a bolt member, one for each rotor, mounted through said casing and movable into and out of depressions provided in one of the lateral faces of its respective rotor, and a springtensioned lever operable against the said bolt member to urge the same into locking position.

4. A branding implement comprising a pair of rotors each having an axial trunnion formed integral with one of the lateral faces thereof, a loose shaft rotatably mounting the rotors with the opposite lateral faces of the rotors one against the other, a casing rotatably mounting the trunnion of each of said rotors and having an open face defining a branding surface, a series of branding characters secured against the peripheral surface of each of said rotors and movable into branding position relative to said branding surface, means rotating each of said rotors, means locking each of said rotors against rotation whereby any one of the series of branding characters carried thereon will be secured into branding position, said locking means comprising a bolt member, one for each rotor, mounted through said casing and movable into and out of depressions provided in one of the lateral faces of its respective rotor, a spring-tensioned lever operable against the said bolt member to urge the same into locking position, and means operable to hold either of said rotors against rotation in one direction upon movement of the desired selectable character into branding position whereby the depression corresponding to the selected character will be held in registry with the rotor locking means.

5. A branding implement comprising a pair of rotors each having an axial trunnion formed integral with one of the lateral faces thereof, a loose shaft rotatably mounting the rotors with the opposite lateral faces of the rotors one against the other, a casing rotatably mounting the trunnion of each of said rotors and having an open face defining a branding surface, a series of branding characters secured against the peripheral surface of each of said rotors and movable into branding position relative to said branding surface, means rotating each of said rotors, means locking each of said rotors against rotation whereby any one of the series of branding characters carried thereon will be secured into branding position, said locking means comprising a bolt member, one for each rotor, mounted through said casing and movable into and out of depressions provided in one of the lateral faces of its respective rotor, a spring-tensioned lever operable against the said bolt member to urge the same into locking position, and means including a spring member engageable with one of the end edges of the selectable characters and operable to hold either of said rotors against rotation in one direction upon movement of the desired selectable character into branding position whereby the depression corresponding to the selected character will be held in. registry with the rotor locking means.

6. A branding implement comprising a pair of rotors each having an axial trunnion formed integral with one of the lateral faces thereof, a loose shaft rotatably mounting the rotors with the opposite lateral faces of the rotors one against the other, a casing rotatably mounting the trunnion of each of said rotors and having an open face defining a branding surface, a series of branding characters secured against the peripheral surface of each of said rotors and movable into branding position relative to said branding surface, means rotating each of said rotors, means locking each of said rotors against rotation whereby any one of the series of branding characters carried thereon will be secured into branding position, and a fixed branding character fixedly secured to either side of said casing in branding position relative to said rotatable branding characters.

7. A branding implement comprising a pair of rotors each having an axial trunnion formed integral with one of the lateral faces thereof, a loose shaft rotatably mounting the rotors with the opposite lateral faces of the rotors one against the other, a casing rotatably mounting the trunnion of each of said rotors and having an open face defining a branding surface, a series of branding characters secured against the peripheral surface of each of said rotors and movable into branding position relative to said branding surface, means rotating each of said rotors, means locking each of said rotors against rotation whereby any one of the series of branding characters carried thereon will be secured into branding position, and a fixed branding character fixedly secured to either side of said casing in branding position relative to said rotatable branding characters, each of said branding characters comprising a series of outwardly projecting characteristically arranged branding needles.

8. In a branding implement, a detachable branding character comprising a backing plate and a series of characteristically arranged outwardly projecting pigment carrying pins rigidly set in said plate, said branding pins at their set ends being provided with radial enlargements rigidly secured intermediate the opposite faces of said backing plate to prevent pulling of the individual pins from the backing plate during Withdrawal of the branding character from the branded article.

9. In a branding implement, a detachable branding character comprising a backing plate and a series of characteristically arranged out- Wardly projecting pigment carrying pins rigidly set in said plate, said branding pins at their set ends being clenched to provide opposed radially extended enlargements, said enlargements being rigidly secured intermediate the opposite faces of said backing plate.

10. In a branding device, a casing, a rotor rotatably mounted within said casing and provided at its peripheral edge with a series of branding characters, means operable through the casing wall and into depressions provided in one of the lateral faces of said rotor to lock each of the series of branding characters into branding position, and means operable against the branding characters to secure the rotor against rotation in one direction and to align the depression corresponding to the branding character moved into branding position with the rotor holding means operable through the casing Wall.

11. In a branding device, a casing, a rotor rotatably mounted Within said casing and provided at its peripheral edge with a series of branding characters, means operable through the casing wall and into depressions provided in one of the lateral faces of said rotor to lock each of the series of branding characters into branding position, and means including a yieldable spring member secured at one end against the casing and at its opposite end being operable against one of the end edges of the branding character moved into branding position to secure the rotor against rotation in one direction and to align the respective depression with the rotor holding means operable through the casing Wall.

ERNEST WARD ASHTON. 

